Best Diving in Turks and Caicos | 12 Top Dive Sites

Take a short boat ride from Grand Turk and reach this beautiful dive site in no time. The name is appropriate, given the incredible arches found at this site. The reef begins at 50 feet (15 m) and slopes down to a maximum depth of 100 feet (30 m). This site is part of the Columbus National Marine Park, which has provided protected waters and allowed life to thrive here.

Things to See:

As you swim through the large archway you can find massive schools of glass-eye snappers and French grunts. Green and hawksbill turtles frequently swim through this dive site as well. Once you reach the wall, don’t forget to look out into the blue every so often. You may be lucky and spot a reef shark cruising by!

An abundance of dive sites around French Cay appeal to the adventurous explorer. Molasses Reef gets its name from the golden-brown corals that break the surface at this dive site. Descend onto this wall, starting at 55 feet (16 m), and immerse yourself in one of the most fantasy-like dive sites in Turks and Caicos.

Things to See:

On top of the wall you can see trumpetfish, parrotfish, and damselfish of all colors, shapes, and sizes. Look out for the Nassau and goliath groupers that regularly patrol these reefs. As you fin along the edge of the wall, look down to see the vertical wall disappearing into the deep blue. This dive site is famous for an abundance of nurse and reef sharks, with the occasional visiting hammerhead, tiger, or bull shark.

Double D gets its name from the two large pinnacles rising from the depths to the shallows. Maintaining an average depth of 60 feet (18 m), you can navigate around these pinnacles and behold the world above and below.

Things to See:

These pinnacles are absolutely covered in healthy corals, from soft tubes and sponges to hard brain and starlet corals. Watch the majestic reef sharks as they cruise around, curiously watching divers and interacting with each other. Additionally, just under the boat you can usually spot large schools of horse-eye jacks. As you ascend for your safety stop, look toward the surface and watch the black triggerfish dance in the sunlight. This dive site is also known for spotted eagle rays.

Begin your diving adventure in West Caicos at the dive site “Highway to Heaven,” named for the sandy flats at the beginning of the site, which lead to a spectacular drop off of more than 100 feet (30 m). Follow your guide as you swim through arches completely encrusted in corals at around 80 feet (24 m).

Things to See:

Drop in at 50 feet (17 m) and begin your dive by cruising over the sandy highway, looking out for garden eels waving like blades of grass on the sandy bottom. They tend to live in large colonies and face the current to grab any yummy particles drifting near the bottom in their direction. Don’t approach too quickly, as they will immediately disappear into their holes as soon as they see or hear divers. The sandy bottom also attracts large southern rays and spotted eagle rays. Once you’ve reached the wall and deeper sections of the dive, look out for reef sharks cruising by.

Like most dive sites in West Caicos, this dive site is around a one-hour cruise from Provo—but it’s worth it. Drop in at 40 feet (12 m) and prepare to be amazed by the distinct coral heads spread out across the sandy bottom. Explore them with your guide to find many little (and some large) creatures hiding within the cracks and crevices. Next up, follow your guide onto the ledge where it meets the vertical wall, dropping to more than 100 feet (30 m).

Things to See:

Critters such as bright red coral crabs, Caribbean reef lobsters, spotted reef lobsters, banded-coral shrimp and Pederson cleaner shrimp are hiding among the coral boulders. Don’t forget to look at the corals themselves and appreciate the beauty of hundreds, if not thousands, of years in building and growing the beautiful reefs. After you descend on the wall you can find black corals and iridescent purple tube sponges sticking out from the reef, demanding your attention. Large groupers tend to frequent this wall and you may see some bigger sharks cruising by.

You’ll find spectacular big fish here! Like most, if not all, dive sites in Turks and Caicos, expect visibility of more than 100 feet (30 m). The reef itself starts at 60 feet (18 m) and extends into the depths. Not often visited due to the depths and potential currents, this dive site is still considered relatively pristine. Adventurous divers, this one’s for you.

Things to See:

Explore this vertical wall and encounter some wildlife that usually appreciates a quieter crowd. Enormous barrel sponges and massive gorgonian fans extend from this wall. Look beneath, between and among them to spot shrimp at their cleaning stations. Due to the currents sometimes present here, you can see massive sharks emerging from the deep, coming to cruise along the reef. Watch for nurse, reef, hammerhead, and even the occasional bull shark. Spotted eagle rays also love to glide through the currents and you’ll often see them here.

All dive sites in Grace Bay are only a 15-minute boat ride from shore. Princess Alexandra National Park marine reserve, has been a protected sanctuary since 1992, providing a home for wildlife and safe breeding grounds for an abundance of fish and reef creatures. Coral Gables dive site features a gently sloping wall, perfect for any level of diver as you can choose your own depths.

Things to See:

Drop in at 30 feet (10 m) and explore the sandy bottom. Here you can find tilefish stacking rocks and bicolored damselfish making a home within them. Look out for the sneaky camouflaged peacock flounders until they get spooked, and then watch the electric blues emerge from the whites. Explore the wall at your own leisure and watch groupers get groomed at their favorite cleaning station. In the midwater you can see yellowtail snappers drift around and above them some creole wrasse dance in the sunlight.

Beginning at 60 feet (18 m), this wall drops into depths of 100 feet (30 m) and more. Perfect for the beginner to the advanced diver, this site allows for all levels of exploration and recreation. With an average visibility of 100 feet (30 m), you can see corals and life in almost every direction.

Things to See:

Like an aquarium, this dive site boasts an abundance of reef fish. From massive schools of French and Spanish grunts to parrotfish of all kinds, this dive site is by far one of the most colorful and abundant. Follow the sandy chutes to find the heads of large spotted snake eels cautiously peering out. In the small patches of seagrass, you can find a sharp-tail eel swimming about. On the reef, you can see yellowtail and bicolored damselfish in large numbers and, if you get close, you may spot the exotic purples and yellows of the small but mighty velvet damselfish.

Another spectacular site in the Princess Alexandra National Park, Graceland has an average depth of 50 feet (17 m) and is perfect for every level of diver. This site attracts visitors of all kinds because of a wall with many cracks, crevices, indentations, and buttresses.

Things to See:

Just under the dive boat, descend onto the sand chute and follow the swim-through, leading to a wall beginning at a mere 50 feet (17 m). Follow along this wall and spend time exploring all the indentations you can see with the naked eye. You are guaranteed to spot small critters and creatures that you might not even be able to name. From scarlet-striped cleaner shrimp and squat shrimp hiding out in their sea anemones of choice, to channel-clinging crabs and spotted lobsters, this wall is a paradise for photographers and divers with a keen eye. Be sure to look down into the depths and you might spot a reef shark swimming by.

Shark Hotel is an appropriate name for a dive site that hosts a congregation of small to large reef sharks at the plateau point. This wall starts at 35 feet (11 m) and drops to depths of 100 feet (30 m) and beyond. This dive site boasts the largest pillar coral colony in all of Turks and Caicos.

Things to See:

This site is not only famous for the abundance of sharks that seem to gather here, but also for the variety of formations of gold and purple tube sponges that are scattered across this reef. This dramatic wall features all the colors of the rainbow, with parrotfish, blue and brown chromis, trumpetfish, damselfish, goatfish and more of your usual Caribbean reef suspects. When you reach the famous “Shark Hotel” plateau, gently kneel into the sand or perform your best hover and simply watch the reef sharks cruise on by. This dive site also attracts large schools of horse-eye jacks, which sometimes approach the calmest divers.

Dive into the waters and see this stunning wall at 40 feet (12 m). Follow it down to the sandy bottom at 85 feet (25 m) and you’ll find yourself suddenly swimming in an incredible amphitheater. Since the visibility is usually a whopping 100 feet (30 m), you can truly appreciate the immensity and uniqueness of this dive site.

Things to See:

This reef is crowded with large elephant ear sponges and black corals. Look among these to find colorful bristle fire worms and Christmas tree worms. Schooling horse-eye jacks will often swim by, allowing you to peer into their large eyes. Barracuda like to hang out on top of the reefs. If you are an advanced diver, descend just a little deeper to 90 feet (27 m) and catch a glimpse of the rare orange rope sponges.

Last, but certainly not least, is the HMS Endymion wreck of Salt Cay. This is by far the most famous wreck in the Turks and Caicos. This British warship struck a reef in 1790 and stayed afloat for three days before finally sinking to the sandy bottom. The site where the ship was wrecked has now been given the name Endymion Rock. It now sits at 40 feet (12 m) and makes an excellent dive for all levels of divers. Interestingly, another ship foundered at this exact same site in 1921. Partial remains of this five-masted schooner, with one of the first diesel engines, also lies with the HMS Endymion underneath the waters on this sandy plain.

Things to See:

The anchors and the chains are the most clearly visible features of this site. Since the HMS Endymion was launched in 1779, it was mostly made of wood. This wreck has also been subject to a lot of looting in the past. However, you can check out some of the artifacts at the Turks and Caicos Museum. Of course, the wreck has attracted an abundance of fish species. You can see French grunts and glass-eye snappers sheltering in schools along with the remaining pieces of the ship. Look for Caribbean reef octopus hiding in the bits and pieces strewn across the sandy bottom. If you look carefully, you may also spot an arrow crab waiting patiently for its next fish to clean.